Building construction



F. A. PALEN.

BUILDING CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 8, 1920.

1,421,299. I Patented June 27, 1922.

F. A. PAI EN. BUILDING CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATION FILED APR- 8, I920. v

Patented June 27, 1922.

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7 BUILDING CONSTRUCTION.

Application filed. Aprils, 1920.

To all relic-m it may concern.

Be it known that I, FRANK A. PALEN, a citizen of the United'States of America, residing at New York city, New York County, New York, have invented a new and useful Building Construction, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to building construction, and more particularly to the construction of the frame portion. While there are many advantages which may be attributed to the invention, conspicuous among them being cheapness, ease-and speed of construction, the construction is also such that unskilled labor may be successfully employed in the erection o'fthe frame. By my in-. vention. the frame of the building is built up of what I may term a plurality ofunits. .uat'h unit may be assembled'on the ground, thereby greatly reducing-cost, since as is well known that work in the air is much-more slow, costly and dangerous. By my improvement it is also possible to have all of the lumber prepared at the mill with the various pieces cut to the proper length and shape and bored to receive the final fastening devices such as screws or bolts, so that by appropriately numbering or lettering such pieces before shipment the same may be assembled and erected on the field with speed and accuracy. lVIy invention has the further advantage of strength as the same will be substantially greater than that ordinary type of frame construction termed balloon frame construction.

0 Referring to the accompanying draw- 1ngs: H

Fig. 1 shows in perspective a frame of a building constructed to embody my invention.

Figs. 2 and 3 are perspective views, relatively enlarged, showing details.

Fig. 4: is an end view of a frame of modified design.

Figs. 5, 6, 7, and 8 are respectively detail views. relatively enlarged, to make clear certain features of construction.

Referring first to Fig. 1, it will be seen that there are six parallel, vertically positioned, framing units shown. the number being variable according to the desired length of the building. Each framing unit comprises the following fundamental pieces. 11 the columns or uprights. 2 is a tie beam between pairs of uprights or columns 1-1, serving to secure them together. 33 rafters for car- Specification of Letters-Patent.

Patented June 27, 1922. Serial mtsmase.

rying the roof. These ed to the columns 11. 4: 1s a floor beam which connects. the lower ends of apair of uprights 11 to properly tie the same together. It will be observed that each upright or column 1 1 is made up of two strips of lumber of appropriate dimensions which are spaced apart by the tie beam 2 and the floor beam 4. The rafters likewise set into the space between the twoparts of each column and suitable holes are preferably bored in advance'in these several'pieces, so thatthey are bound to go together properly, and so that it merely requires the application of suit-able screws orjbolts in said holes to permanently unite the same. The unit thus described may, as I have before outlined, be entirely assembledon the ground and may then be pushed up'into a vertical position and properly stayed or held-until finally connectedto otherunits. When the desired number of units have been assembled and raised into position, the same are finallytied together at the sides by ribbon pieces 55. Thelower endsof the several units rest upona suitable sill construction 6, which in turn may be supported on a suitable foundation in the form of posts or masonry, masonry being. shown in F ig. 1, posts in Fig. 4. The rafters may be tied together by. a suitable ridge piece 7-. The several units are likewise connectmay be equipped with appropriate studs 8-8 before or after; being swung up into position. Spacer blocks 99'may be provided between the lower ends-of'the columns to properly space the same'on the sill 6, these being: obvious details: Intermediate floor beams 4; may be inserted Where desired.

In the modifications shown in Figs. 4 to 5, I have illustrated the end of a building having a gambrel roof. The same principle of unit construction may be here employed,

and in this case I form the lower story sec- I tion of each unit substantially as described above, but where necessary I extend the ends of the columns or posts 11 upwardly to the desired extent above the tie beam 2. In this particular instance the tie beam 2 may be used to support a second story flooring. I also extend the ends of the tie beams 2 beyond the posts 11 as shown in Fig. 4, so that the rafters 33 shown therein may be not only tied to the upper extensions from the columns 1, but may also be tied to the ends of the tie pieces 22 as shown. this form of construction, the rafters 3-3 may be made double, see Figs. 6 and 8, the lower ends being connected on the opposite sides of the tie piece 2 andon opposite sides of a fillet piece 1 secured between. the upper ends of the pieces 1. In this construction I provide a tie piece 2 between the upper ends of the rafters 33. To the ends of these rafters I connect top rafter pieces 3 -3 which meet at the ridge and are properly fastened.

If it is desired to have a dormer window at one side one of the upper rafters 3 may have an extension 3, this being supported by continuing up the columns 1 thereunder inthe manner shown at 1 in Fig/l.

From the foregoing, the general plan of my invention will be clearly understood and appreciated. Ofcourse, anyone practising my invention may modify the same within reasonable bounds as to changes in design and dimensions, my chief thought and purpose being, to provide a new method of building frame construction which depends chiefly upon the employment of a plurality of section units, the number of which may be multiplied at will according to the length of the building, and the design of which may be modified in a wide variety of ways to get different cross-sectional effects.

The units in all cases may be easily assembled from stock previously prepared and marked at some common source so that lumber enough to constructone or more buildings may be shipped to the destination and then quickly assembled and erected by unskilled labor.

i The particular covering for the building is immaterial to my invention.

Since each column 1 of the unit is formed of spaced pieces rigidly tied together so as to constitute in effect a truss, such a column will possess all necessary strength and yet will be substantially lighter than solid columns and better adapted to be co-ordinated with the floorjoists, tie beams, and

rafters, since the spacebetween the two parts of each column is utilized to receive the said joists and rafters, which latter in turn perform the function of spacing pieces of the two parts of each column.

What I claim is 1. A building frame comprised of a plurality of substantially corresponding unit sections, each unit section comprising a pair of supporting columns, each column being formed of two parallel spaced and rigidly connected pieces, a horizontal tie piece connecting each pair of columns and fastened between the two parts of each, a floor beam connecting each pair of columns of a unit section and fastened between the parts thereof and rafters connected to each of said columns and converging toward each other, thei'several unit sections being tied together in vertical position and in parallel spaced relation by transverse ribbons.

2. In a building frame construction, a plurality of frame units, each unit comprising a pair of columns, each of said columns being formed of two parallel pieces spaced apart from each other by two horizontal spaced tie pieces passing between the pieces of each column and which serve to connect a pair of columns, all of said parts being fastened together ri idly, rafter pieces connected at or near t e upper ends of'both posts, said rafters converging towards each other, and fastenings for the upper ends of said rafters. V V

3. A frame unit. for building constructions, comprising a pair of columns, each comprising two parallel'pieces rigidly connected together but in spaced relation to each other, two transverse tie pieces connecting each pair of columns and passing between the pieces of each column and serving to space the two pieces of each column, rafters secured to ,saidcolumns between the two parts thereof, with means for connecting the upper ends of said rafters.

FRANK A. PALEN. 

